Pink Hurdles
by chaotic.grey
Summary: Kind of a Chloe/whoever you want her to be with :) I re-uploaded it because I wanted to change a few things... Anyway, it's about Chloe's day without Clark. Please review!! Many thanks. :D


Pink Hurdles  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or any of its characters or plots. Notice how unenthusiastic I am in saying this.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
Peter (preferably Pete) Ross grinned as he walked confidently away from a small stand selling souvenirs. In his hand he held a miniature bottle containing the liquid form of the meteor rocks that had hit Smallville years ago. It was fake, of course. Pete figured the salesman had probably gone digging for small rocks to crunch up and pour water and food coloring over. He knew Chloe would like it, though. The fact that it was most likely not real probably wouldn't bother her- she would still think it was a cute gift.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
The next day at lunch, he presented Chloe with the bottle, grinning with excitement once again. However, reaching over the lunch table to show it to her, he accidentally dropped it, and the questionable liquid splattered slightly as it fell.  
  
"Aw, man... Sorry 'bout that. I'll clean it up, Chloe," Pete said disappointedly.  
  
"It's okay, Pete. It was a really cute idea," Chloe smiled. I knew it! I just had to blow it, didn't I? Pete thought to himself as Chloe handed him a couple of napkins.  
  
Clark laughed a little bit at the incident, sitting across the table. He received a momentary glare from Pete.  
  
The lunch served that day looked particularly inedible, and Clark amused himself by piling it all up before taking an unpleasant bite out of it, just to test if it was worth eating. It wasn't.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
That night, Chloe called Clark around 7:00 to ask him about some of her homework and maybe chat a little bit. Mrs. Kent picked up the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Mrs. Kent. It's Chloe. Is Clark there?" she asked politely.  
  
"Oh, hi Chloe. Actually, Clark isn't feeling too well right now. Do you want me to leave him a message?"  
  
"...No, that's okay. Just tell him I hope he feels better."  
  
"Alright. Thanks, Chloe. You have a good night," Martha replied.  
  
"You too, Mrs. Kent." Chloe hung up the phone, puzzled. Now that's weird. In all the years I've known Clark, I think this is probably the first time he's ever been sick! She sat up in her bed and leaned forward, her chin resting on her hands. I hope he goes to school tomorrow...  
  
~*----------*~  
  
Clark wasn't at school the next day. Lana approached Chloe at her locker to ask if she'd seen him. Chloe saw her coming and shoved her backpack in her locker before swinging it shut.  
  
"Hi, Chloe. You look kind of upset, is something wrong?" Lana asked, her eyes looking concerned.  
  
"I'm alright, I guess. I just had a bad morning... I couldn't find anything to wear and I was almost too late for the bus, so I couldn't eat breakfast."  
  
"That's never a good way to start your day. It happens to everyone, though. I hope the rest of your day is a little calmer, at least. Oh, have you seen Clark around today? I was going to ask him if I could borrow his math book for second period," Lana giggled slightly. "He's the only person I know who's got the same book and isn't in the same period."  
  
"I don't think he's gonna be at school today. I called last night and Mrs. Kent said he wasn't feeling too good. Do you wanna borrow mine? I have the same one as Clark," Chloe suggested.  
  
"Thank you, Chloe! You know, you've done a lot for me, and we've barely talked before this year. Just tell me if there's something I can do in return," Lana smiled warmly, received Chloe's text book, and proceeded to her first period as the warning bell rang. Chloe trudged down the hall and to the right to her history class.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
After third period, Chloe's literature class, a few students cornered her in the hall.  
  
"What's up with the Torch these days?" one of the guys said. "I heard that at some point it used to be worth reading."  
  
"Yeah. Now there seems to be a lot of ranting... and complaining," another individual joined in.  
  
"All of this, however, is done by one nosy, self-absorbed reporter," this speaker paused and looked at her, then leaned down, into her face. "Why is it that there was a story printed in this morning's Torch about my ability to make free-throws? Who do you think wants to listen to you alone ramble on about whatever crosses your mind when you write? DO YOU REALIZE WHOSE REPUTATION IS SUFFERING BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DAYDREAM UP IN YOUR LIFELESS, UNCARING EXISTENCE?!" He was screaming at her now. Clearly, these were members of the basketball team.  
  
"I guess mine is, judging by the way the lord of all high school status is treating me," Chloe retorted with as cold a tone as she could manage. She walked away calmly before reaching her locker, where she disposed of a book she wouldn't need for her next class.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
Strangely, Chloe didn't see Pete until lunch that day, where she continued to receive glares from the usual table of basketball stars.  
  
"Come on, you never let this stuff get to you!" Pete tried to comfort her, giving her a little nudge in the shoulder.  
  
"I'm just not having a great day today." Chloe shrugged it off and uncharacteristically ate her lunch silently.  
  
It hurt Pete to watch as her personality was sealed up inside of everything that contradicted her, but somehow he knew it had to do with the fact that Clark was absent. He wondered if it would have the same effect on her if he were gone for a day.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
After school, Pete was on his way to meet up with Chloe at her locker (as usual), but he made it there before her. He spotted her coming out of her last class and jogged over to greet her.  
  
"Hey. You feelin' a little better yet?" Pete asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Not really. I have a whole lot of homework to do and I lost my pencil bag. Plus that jock's been staring me down all day. Not that I haven't gotten used to glares, but it gets kind of old after a few hours." Her voice had lost its perkiness, and her usual witty inputs were long gone. Pete realized that when Chloe had a bad day, so did all of her friends.  
  
"Well then you should tell him it's his own fault if he gets personally trashed in the Torch tomorrow. I mean, it's kind of stupid to hold a grudge on the editor of the newspaper," Pete said reassuringly. She smiled slightly and her expression lightened up a little. Pete's a good friend, she thought.  
  
"I guess I'm kind of making a big deal out of everything. I mean, there have been worse-" Chloe tripped before she could finish her sentence. Her belongings fell from her arms, scattered across the floor a few feet in front of her. She let out an internal sigh as the surrounding crowd began to chuckle and sneer. Pete helped her up after collecting her books. She put all her weight in his arms as he pulled her off the ground-she felt like all of her strength had been lost along with her self-esteem. They continued to trudge down the hall together, ignoring their uncaring peers.  
  
As they walked out the front door, Pete suggested, "Let's walk today. I'm not really looking forward to getting on the bus after..." he didn't want to finish that sentence. Chloe nodded her head and sighed again. I can't let this happen again... she thought to herself.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
When Chloe got home (Pete had walked her all the way to her house before turning back around toward his), she got her homework out of the way before having a snack and retreating to her room to think.  
  
Clark, why weren't you at school today? I need you there from now on, okay? She let out a sigh and thought about calling his house to see if he was better yet. I'll wait a little while... I need to relax or I'll probably blow up at him. Why must high school be so stressful? ...Maybe it only seemed that way today because I didn't have anything there to block out the bad. Clark, you need to be there from now on so you can walk around with me like my guardian the way you always do... So you can give me your adorable grin when I need it most without even realizing it.  
  
She rolled over on her stomach, took a deep breath, and exhaled. She felt like she was missing something-she thought maybe it was air. All right, Clark, if you promise to be at school tomorrow, I promise I'll thank Pete for trying to make up for your absence today. How's that?  
  
Suddenly Chloe's thoughts switched to Pete. I never really thought about it, but Pete has a big effect on my day, too. If he hadn't been there... Things would probably be a lot worse.  
  
She turned again to look at her clock. 5:26... she thought. Wait a minute... 5:30... something about 5:30... What was I supposed to do today...? Then it clicked. Oh crap! I'm supposed to meet Dad after work!! Oh shoot... I can't believe he planned on taking me out to eat and I forgot!! I'll never be there in time... She jumped up and ran into her bathroom, snatching some clothes on her way. How am I supposed to get to Luthor Corp. in three minutes?! There's no way... I guess I'll just have to walk and be late.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
After hurriedly pulling on some clothes, brushing her hair, reapplying some of her make-up, and checking to make sure she didn't need anything else, Chloe rushed out the front door and locked it behind her.  
  
At least in a small town you know your way around, she thought, half- jogging along the edge of the street toward Luthor Corp. There were never many cars driving by, so they were pretty noticeable when they did, especially when traveling at a speed of around 50 mph on a country road. Chloe turned around and looked at the slowing convertible with a look of both confusion and thought. I wonder who that could be, she thought sarcastically. Well this is awfully convenient. He seems to recognize me.  
  
"Afternoon, Miss Sullivan. May I ask why you're walking away from your house, and without the usual trio, or should I assume you're hitchhiking?" Lex asked with a little smile.  
  
"Well that depends on who decides to give me a ride and where they're headed," she put her weight on her right foot and her hands on her hips. "You wouldn't happen to be on your way to your plant, would you?" she raised her eyebrows. Lex reached over and opened the passenger door, motioning for her to hop in.  
  
"Why do you want to visit the pit? And without a chaperone?" Lex smiled.  
  
"If you remember, my father works there. We were gonna hang out tonight." Chloe quickly buckled her seat belt, aware of Lex's driving habits.  
  
"Right... You're Gabe Sullivan's daughter, then? I'm afraid you won't be able to catch him anytime soon. He's in a meeting. I can't imagine why he'd plan anything now- we're just getting back on our feet after that whole Earl Jenkins thing. He'll definitely be working over-time. The meeting isn't even scheduled to end until 6:30, although it'll probably last a lot longer." He looked at Chloe, noticing her expression dull. That was probably a little harsh... he thought. "I'm sorry you won't be able to spend time with your father, Chloe." He waited. He wanted to see if she was all right with that, but she didn't seem to take it well. He wondered what he could do to cheer her up. "Well, you could come to my place with me. I'm expecting Clark to come by soon with some veggies from the farm. Maybe he could pick you up while he's there," Lex yelled over the roaring engine. That seemed to work, but then she looked puzzled.  
  
"I thought he was sick," she yelled back. "Did you talk to him about this arrangement or are you just expecting him to come rather than anyone else? He wasn't at school today, and when I called last night his mother said he wasn't feeling well."  
  
"That can't be good. I wonder who's gonna come then?" Lex thought.  
  
"What do you mean? Probably Mr. Kent." Who else? Chloe thought.  
  
"Well, he and I aren't exactly on good terms with each other," he replied. "I guess we'll see if he shows or if he sends Mrs. Kent instead. Anyway, it looks like you're on your own. I've got a lot of work to do. Want me to drop you off somewhere?" He kind of felt bad for having to leave her somewhere by herself, but he didn't have much of a choice. Then an idea occurred to him. "Do you have any homework to do? Maybe an article to write?"  
  
"Oh shoot! I have a bunch of stuff to go over for tomorrow's Torch... I can't believe I almost forgot. *sigh* I guess I need to go to the school then," Chloe replied miserably, tilting her head back into the comfortable seat.  
  
"Do you think you could save the file to a disk and just bring it to my place? I have an extra office with a computer I won't be using. I monitor most of the plant's activity in my office with my laptop when I don't have other stuff to do, so really most of my work is done at home. Anyway, since you don't have other plans, you could dine with me tonight. I usually eat alone, but I wouldn't mind the company if you wouldn't mind having dinner with your father's boss. They serve it an hour from now. Do you think you'd be too uncomfortable?" Lex wasn't sure why, but he couldn't stand leaving her to work alone, especially with the way she was acting. She was obviously very depressed.  
  
She looked back up at him, surprised and somewhat suspicious. "...Okay. I don't mind, but... Are you sure it's okay for you to go driving all the way down to the school and then back to the mansion just for some 16 year old girl who's friends with Clark? I mean, if you have work to do, which I'm sure you do, then..."  
  
Lex laughed. "Don't worry about it. Besides, you're also Gabe Sullivan's daughter. That's gotta count for something."  
  
~*----------*~  
  
Chloe followed Lex when she heard the doorbell ring and he stood up to answer it. She really wanted Clark to be there so he could take her somewhere else or maybe they could meet up with Pete. Unfortunately, it was Jonathan Kent who stood at Lex's huge front door with a crate of vegetables. He said a kind of reluctant "Hi, Lex," and then looked at Chloe, surprised.  
  
"What are you doing here, Chloe?" he questioned.  
  
"She had plans with her father, but he was busy so I thought I'd let her eat here tonight. Come in, Mr. Kent." Lex motioned for Jonathan to follow him.  
  
"Since when do you answer the door yourself?" Jonathan asked bitterly.  
  
"Since I gave my butler a vacation," Lex responded in a matter-of-fact tone. He took the crate from Jonathan and put it on a counter-top in the kitchen when his cell phone rang. "Excuse me," he said as he retreated the sounding phone from his jacket pocket. "Lex Luthor," he declared into the phone. "......Hi, Dad...... Yes, I noticed, but we just-...... I've already got my employees on it. What else am I supposed to do? ...... You know, for once, you can't put yourself above me, because you know just as little about fertilizer as I do. That's why all you can tell me to do is fix it. No orders this time?" A dial tone could be heard. "Didn't think so," Lex said to no one as he hung up the phone. He sat down, a frustrated yet thoughtful expression on his face. He looked up at Jonathan and said "Thank you, Mr. Kent." Jonathan took the hint and left.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
"Chloe, dinner's ready." Chloe sat up immediately as Lex walked in, surprised.  
  
"Okay. Sorry about that, you surprised me."  
  
When they arrived in the dining room, Chloe looked at Lex suspiciously. "You know, it's not that I don't take you as a generous person, Lex, but I can't help but wonder why you invited me here."  
  
"Because you looked like you were ready to shoot yourself if you got the chance to go back to your empty house." Lex smiled. "What was wrong, anyway? Too many hurdles to jump today?"  
  
"Not necessarily. A girl always has a lot of hurdles in one day. Today I was just missing my balance." She smiled back. Clark, that's why I need you at school from now on. You're my balance.  
  
~*----------*~  
  
Author's Note: The End! That was kinda cheesy, but oh well. :)  
  
Also, in case you didn't figure it out, Clark was sick because of the "liquid meteorite". It turns out that when the salesman went rock digging, he actually did pull up a few meteor rocks. Some of the junk got into Clark's food, Clark unknowingly ate it, and he couldn't get better until it was out of his system. I wanted to add that in the actual story but I couldn't think of how and I liked ending it here. So anyway, please review it!! Even if you don't like it, I'd like to know. Thank you!!  
  
Also, in case you didn't figure it out, Clark was sick because of the "liquid meteorite". It turns out that when the salesman went rock digging, he actually did pull up a few meteor rocks. Some of the junk got into Clark's food, Clark unknowingly ate it, and he couldn't get better until it was out of his system. I wanted to add that in the actual story but I couldn't think of how and I liked ending it here. So anyway, please review it!! Even if you don't like it, I'd like to know. Thank you!! 


End file.
